ORANGE LAKE, FL (352today.com) – The Marion County Farmland Preservation Festival returned for its 17th year on April 12, hosted at Stirrups and Strides Therapeutic Riding Center. While the event featured live music, food trucks, a kids activity zone, crafts, and educational booths, the heart of the festival was clear: raising awareness about the importance of preserving Marion County’s rural land and rich agricultural heritage.
“We’ve been setting up here for about 16 years now,” said Cindy Johnson of Citra. “We became acquainted with people in the area doing similar things as us, and we’re out here to bring awareness to saving our farmland with all of the new developments and high rises. We’re teaching people about what they can do on their own little piece of property—to make food, to grow, and to have their pollinators and their plants. All the other vendors are trying to support this ecosystem.”
Vendors emphasized the economic and cultural importance of local farms and the threats posed by unchecked development.
“The farmers are taking their money and giving it to the lawyers who are representing the farmers, rather than putting it into their equipment, land taxes, seed and feed and everything else that goes along with it,” said John Johnson of Citra. “But it’s a necessary evil, and our donation to this preservation is very important to who we are, what we stand for and what we believe in.”
Save Our Rural Areas (SORA) continues to play an important role in preserving the area’s farmland area while warning of growing pressure from government overreach and legislation that could override local control.
“Our mission is helping to save our rural areas,” said SORA representative Jerome Feaster. “We can’t do it by ourselves. This is our 17th Farm Festival. The very first one was held in a church yard in 2006, in Shiloh, in the community that was being threatened by development at that time. The community stood up, objected to it and opposed it. The county denied the request.”
Feaster also voiced concern over proposed legislation, HB 1209 and SB 1118, which he said would undermine local authority in managing growth
“Our festival is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get,” said Feaster. “Development needs to be controlled. It needs to be controlled by the Marion County Commission and Marion County citizens, not Tallahassee.”
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